2008-present: Blakester's Booties, Owner & manufacturer.
I forgot about this one! When I had my first child, I had a hard time finding baby shoes that stayed on a newborn's feet. They like to kick a lot. What I did find was made of leather and extremely expensive. Now I do not mind paying $30 for footwear but for footwear that fits feet for a very short period of time that they only wear in doors? There was my objection.
I deconstructed a pair given to me, remade the pattern and purchased a sewing machine. I do have some experience in sewing. I made a few pairs for family, who recommended them to friends and by the end of my first year had covered my initial investment.
This was a FANTASTIC lesson in both entrepreneurship and in setting price points.
Lesson 1: about a quarter of the people who say they would purchase your product actually do when you create said venture.
Lesson 2: That doesn't mean that anyone else will.
Lesson 3: Prices usually end up being lower than you thought or than your initial customers think they should be.
Lesson 4: Your market may not be what you think it is... I can easily charge $10 for a pair of these shoes and still profit. I discovered this in my first year through trial and error. But my mistake was thinking only thrifty moms liked this product. What input did dads have? Not usually many objection over a $10 shoe. However, when I did start making shoes with sports team logos, they would not stay on my shelves. Locally, I can get $15 for them; on craigslist, they sell for $20. Think outside the box.
Marketing has been minimal; business comes by word of mouth. But I have had to halt production at times when I am late into a pregnancy or just plumb busy. Naptimes or after the kids are in bed are 'production time'; but the work is detailed and quality declines when I am in these more tired stages. Business is steady when I allow it to be... which gives this venture many possibilities.
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